Extension-ladder.



witnesses PATENTBD MAR. 17, 1908. J. A. GAFLISGH.

EXTENSION LADDER.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. Z1. 1907.

l 3 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

PATENTED MAR. 17, 190s. LA. CAFLISGH. g

EXTENSION LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED 5131221. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

110.882,871. PATENTED MAR.17,'1808.

J. A.- GAPLISGH. EXTENSION LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lnveutoz @m/M- A m May/881V JOHN A. CAFLISCH, OF UNION CITY,PENNSYLVANIA..

EXTENSION-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Application filed September 21, 1907. Serial No. 393,953.

To all whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that l, JOHN A. CAFLIscH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Union Oity, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania,have invented new and useful Improvements in Extension-Ladders,

of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in extension ladders and isparticularly directed to a structure in which the ladder sections may bequickly and conveniently extended and the ladder as a whole adjusted toany desired inclination with respect to'the base or supporting member.

j The main object of the present invention is the provision of anextension ladder made up of any desired number of independent sectionsand mounted upon a wheeled base, the construction including a simplemeans for elevating the respective ladder sections at will and a furthermeans for adjusting` the ladder as a whole at any desired inclinationwith respect to the base.

rllhe invention will be described inthe following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in 'whichFigure l is a view in front elevation of a ladder constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a section on hne 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 1s an enlargedsection on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional viewillustrating' particularly the means for adjusting the inclination ofthe ladder. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7is a broken perspective illustrating the connection of the elevatingcable with one of the movable ladder' sections. Fig. 8 is an enlargedsection on line 8-8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a broken sectional viewillustrating the connection of the adjusting cable guide with the vwheelbase.

Referring articularly to the drawings, my improvedp extension ladderlcomprises a base member or platform 1, preferably made up in skeletonform to include side bars 2 and cross bars 3, said platform being of anydesired dimensions. The platform is supported upon an axle 4 mounted inbearings secured to the side bars 2, said axle carrying ground wheels 5to provide for convenient transportation of the ladder.

The ladder proper is in the present instance, made up of three sections,a lower section 6, an intermediate section '7 and an upper section 8,the lower section comprising the sole supporting member for theintermediate and upper sections.

'lhe side bars 9 of the lower section are connected by rungs l0, as isusual, said side bars being so constructed that they are spaced apart agreater distance at their lower ends than at their upper ends. Thisresult may be gained by inelining an intermediate portion of each sidebar so as to dispose the portions of said bar beyond the inclinedportion in parallel but o'll'set planes. The rela tively lower ends ofthe side bars of the lower ladder section are pivotally supported on theshaft or axle 4, as at 1l, said connection be ing preferably disposedbetween side bars of the base frame and the ground wheel.

The intermediate and up )er ladder sections are practically identical sofar as their ladder construction is concerned, each including side bars12 connected by rungs 13. The respective ladder sections are, however,of slightly different widths, the intermediate sections being of a widthto lit within or between the side bars of the reduced portion of thelower section, while the up )er section is of a width to lit between theside bars of the intermediate section. The respective sections aremaintained in their relative positions during the elevating and loweringo )eration through the medium of supporting plates 14, which are ofright angle form with one leg secured to the inner surface of the siderail of the lower and intermediate ladder sections and the other legunderlying the edge of the adjacent section, whereby each section guidesand supports the next adjacent section. The supporting plates arepreferably disposed near the upper end of the respective laddersections, whereby their guiding influence is rendered most effective. Itis to be understood, however, that any number of such plates may be usedand they may be positioned at any points desired to properly guide andsupport the ladder sec tions during elevation.

Mounted upon the relatively forward edges of the side bars 9 of thelower section is an elevating'roller 15, preferably of substantialdiameter and having a central shaft -16 supported in bearings 17 on theside bars, one end of the shaft being projected beyond the bearing and'formed to provide a crank handle 18` This roller is designed inoperation to elevate the res ective ladder sections with relation to theower section, being for this of the side bars of the intermediate laddenY section and passes around a grooved pulley 23 secured in a recessformed in the relatively rear edge of the side bar of said section, aguide block 24 being secured to the side bar to properly direct thecable. From the pulley 23 the cable extends upwardly adjacent theparticular side bar and passes over a grooved pulley 25 secured on theinner surface of one of the side bars of the lower section, from whichpulley u' the cable extends to and is connected with the roller 15, theconnection between the cable and roller is preferably provided bypassing the cable through an opening extending transverse the roller,the respective f openings in the roller for both strands of the cablebeing arranged adjacent the ends of the roller. The cable connectionsjust described are, of course, repeated on the opposite sides of theladder sections, so that both terminals of the cable are secured to thelower end of the upper section, and the central. portion of the cableextends longitudinally of the roller 15V between the openings therein,as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The pulleys 23 mounted on the lower ends of the intermediate laddersection are disosed at right angles to the remaining pulieys, so thatthe cable strands leading to and from the pulleys 23 will lie andoperate upon respectively opposite sides of the side bars of theintermediate section. The outer surfaces of the respective side bars ofthe intermediate and upper ladder sections are channeled throughouttheir lengths adjacent their rear edges, as at 26, for the reception ofthe cable during operation, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The pulley 23,carried by the lower ends of the intermediate section, is, as beforestated, mounted in a recess formed in each side bar of said section, andsecured therein by a guard plate 27. The lower end of the guard plateprojects below the lower edge of the respective side bar, therebyproviding a projecting lip 23 designed when the parts are in loweredposition to bear against the axle 4 of the base frame, insuring themaintaining of the ladder sections in proper relative positions andpreventing any tendency of the lower ends of the intermediate laddersection to swing away from the lower section.

In connection withfthe elevating means de- 32A designed to restrespectively upon the j upper surface of the side bars 2 of the base andbe secured thereto through bolts 33, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. Thecable guides lie between the side bars of the lower ladder section, andimmediately above these guides v j there is mounted in said side bars ashaft 34, which at one end is projected beyond the side, bar in the formof an operating handle 35. Directly overlying each guide 29 there isfixed to the shaft 34 a Banged roller 36 about which is wound theadjusting cable 37.

The intermediate portion of the cable is given several turns about theparticular roller and is projected from said roller in oppositedirections in the guide 29, said cable resting, of course, in the groove31 formed in the guide. cable are secured in socket members 38 fixed `inthe side bars of the base frame in aline- The terminals of theparticular 9 ment with the guide channels 31, as clearly p, Y,

seen in Fig. 9.

The rollers 36 are so disposed with relation to the guides 29 that inthe operation of the shaft 34 said rollers will be taking up the cableon one side of said rollers and feeding it off on the opposite side,which, as the terminals of the cables are fixed will result in drawingthe rollers in one or the other direction with thc effect to swing thelower ladder section, and thereby the entire ladder on the axle 4. Asthe rollers are disposed immediately above the guides the operationdescribed will tend to at all times maintain the adjusting cable in thechannel 31 of the guides, thereby insuring the mosth effective andconvenient adjustment.

The respective operating handles 13 and 35 are secured againstaccidental movement through a simple locking means, illustrated moreparticularly in Fig. 3. For the purpose noted l utilize arectangularloop or link member 39 designed to loosely and slidablyembrace the adjacent side bar 9 of the lower ladder section and also thenormally depending portion of the crank handle. When in normal positionthe link effectively serves to prevent operation of the handle, as willbe clear from Fig. 1, it being obviousthat when it is desired to operateeither shaft the particular link member may be manually elevated untilthe cross bar normally disposed against the depending portion of thecrank handle rests upon the horizontal portion of the particular shaftprojected beyond the side bar. In this position the link will notinterfere with the revolution of the shaft to any desired degree, but isalways in position to be dropped over the handle portion and againsecure the shaft against movement.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that I have providedan extension ladder, which, through the medium of the wheeled frame, maybe readily and conveniently transported from place to place, which maybe conveniently and quickly adjusted to arrange the ladder as a whole atany desired inclination to the base frame, and the sections of which maybe elevated to any extent within their extreme lengths.

In the use of the ladder it is to be under stood that the end of thewheeled frame to- Ward which the ladder is inclined will serve as 'abase support to prevent movement of the frame during the use of theladder, said end resting upon the ground and being capable of beingsecured to any desired fixture.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

l. An extension ladder comprising a base frame, a series of laddersections mounted thereon, one of the sections having pivotal connectionswith the frame, an adjusting cable carried by one of said sections, anda semi-cylindrical guide secured to the frame and formed with a grooveto receive the cable, said guide forming an arc of the circle of whichthe pivot point of the pivoted ladder section is the center.

2. 'An extension ladder comprisingI a base frame, a series of laddersections mounted thereon, one of the sections having pivotal connectionwith the frame, an adjusting cable carried by one of said'sections, anda semicylindrical guide secured to the frame and formed with a groove toreceive the cable, the respective ends of the cable being secured to therespective ends of the guide, said guide forming an arc of the circle ofwhich the pivot point of the pivoted ladder section is the center,

3. An extension ladder comprising a wheeled frame, a ladder sectionpivotally mounted on said frame, a shaft mounted in said section, acable wound about the shaft and terminally projected in oppositedirections therefrom, and a guide secured to the frame and receiving theprojected portions of Athe cable, said shaft being supported formovement immediately above the guide and adapted in movement to travelin concentric relation u ith the guide, whereby operation of the shaftin either direction will wind the cable projecting in said direction andincline the ladder section.

4. An extension ladder comprising a wheeled frame, a ladder sectionpivotally mounted on said frame, a shaft mounted in said section, acable wound about the shaft and terminally projected in oppositedirections therefrom, and a guide secured to the frame and receiving theprojected portions of the cable, the terminals of the cable beingsecured to opposing ends of the guide, said shaft being supported foi`movement immediately above the guide and adapted in movement to travelin concentric relation with the guide, whereby operation of the shaft ineither direction will wind the cable projecting in said direction andincline the ladder section.

5. An extension ladder comprising a wheeled frame including an axleextending transversely of the frame, a series of ladder sections mountedon the frame, an elevating cable operatively connecting the sections,said cable passing longitudinally of the respective sections, cablereceiving pulleys carried by one of the sections, and guard plates forsaid pulleys, the ends of said guard plates depending below the sectionto engage the axle when the sections are in lowered position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. CAFLISCH.

I/Vitnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, K. ALLEN.

